It's been a year since Herbert Bünter's life was completely turned upside down. The now 64-year-old suffered a stroke and had to learn many things again, such as how to speak.
I will never forget it, this April 1, 2024. As I often did, I went jogging for an hour early in the morning – intensive training was part of my daily routine. Then I sat down at the breakfast table. When I’d finished eating, I stood up and just slumped over. Fortunately, I wasn’t alone. My partner immediately noticed that my face was contorted and that I showed signs of paralysis on one side – clear signs of a stroke. She had the presence of mind to call the ambulance immediately, which arrived 15-20 minutes after the alarm was raised. In the hospital car I had to vomit several times, an additional symptom that indicates this illness.
Every minute counts
Once I arrived at Zurich University Hospital, everything happened very quickly. I was referred as an emergency to the stroke center, which specializes in my diagnosis. As I learned later, doctors only have a very small window of time to treat a stroke: If there are too many hours between the first symptoms and treatment, the brain can suffer irreparable damage due to the lack of oxygen and nutrients. I was lucky and swift, optimal care prevented anything worse. In an operation lasting about an hour, the blocked vessel that caused the stroke was reopened.
When I woke up after the anaesthetic, I recognized my life partner and knew who I was. However, it was not yet possible to speak because my speech center was impaired by the stroke. I was also paralyzed on my left side, which caused me a lot of trouble at the beginning. But on the second day I was already able to attend physiotherapy, speech therapy and occupational therapy at the USZ and quickly noticed a positive development.
“I honestly only give top marks.”
I was a patient at the USZ for a total of six weeks. I felt I was in good hands right from the start. The care provided by the nursing staff was sensational. The doctors always explained everything to me at eye level and translated the complicated medical issues into understandable language. I was often encouraged when I wasn’t mentally up to scratch or was frustrated by the slow progress I was making, for example when I first tried walking. The delicious meals from the USZ kitchen carried me through the day from week to week and made my stay more entertaining – I honestly only give top marks.
“Being able to participate in life properly again is important to me”
It has now been a year since my stroke. I was told that I would only be “really fit” again after about two years. My left side of my body is still restricted, which is why I continue to go to physiotherapy regularly. I make an effort to make progress every day. My fine motor skills are most affected: my left hand trembles. I often have headaches and I’m still very tired. I can talk really well again – it’s crazy to think that after my stroke I only spoke in slang for a short time and had to learn everything again.
As a formerly active person, I miss sport very much. I therefore try to integrate daily exercise sessions into my everyday life: I go for walks and recently even started doing short mountain bike tours. I’m also working a mini-job again. My life was completely turned upside down! Taking part again now helps enormously with recovery – not only physically, but also mentally.